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"She is Without a Doubt, the Greater Sinner, and Merits the Greater Punishment..." The Regulation of Bawdy Houses and the Administration of Justice in Edmonton, Alberta, 1910-1930

Date

2021-04-20

Journal Title

Journal ISSN

Volume Title

Publisher

ORCID

0000-0002-8312-3502

Type

Thesis

Degree Level

Masters

Abstract

Prior to the passage of the Canadian Criminal Code (CCC) in 1892, prostitution was considered a public nuisance and tolerated by many sectors of Canadian society. By the late nineteenth century, however, attitudes became more punitive, resulting in the criminalization of brothel and prostitution-related crimes. Changes in the law arguably reflect the changes in society, which can be attributed to the moral reform movements that emerged in the 1880s. The period from 1910-1930 represents the peak of the reformers’ influence Canadian law and enforcement, after which the number of bawdy house (brothel) sentences in the lower court systems declined as the reformers turned their attention to temperance. This thesis seeks to the adjudication of bawdy-house related cases and the implication of these patterns for understanding the changing attitudes toward prostitution in Edmonton, Alberta from 1910-1930. Using the monthly returns and the correspondence of Magistrates Emily Murphy and Magistrate Philip Primrose, I examine the adjudication of cases of those who worked in bawdy houses, the “inmates” and “keepers,” and those who used their services— “frequenters.” Not surprisingly, the analysis of the data found that the prosecution of bawdy house offenses was deeply gendered. The overwhelming majority of “inmates” and “keepers” were women while it was men who paid for their services. Overall, the data analysis indicates that both Murphy and Primrose preferred to impose fines for all bawdy house related crimes, income that helped to run the justice system. Despite the establishment of a Women’s Court and Magistrate Emily Murphy’s professed claim that she was trying to help “fallen women, the analysis of her monthly records and those of her male colleague, Magistrate Phillip Primrose, indicate that both adhered to gender stereotypes. Both Magistrates Murphy and Primrose treated male “frequenters” more leniently than the women charged with bawdy house offenses while they were more likely to convict and impose harsher punishments on “keepers,” than “inmates.” The long-term effect of the increasing visibility of “prostitutes” was to put them at greater risk when the brothel system ended.

Description

Keywords

Canadian History, Prostitution, Edmonton, Alberta, Emily Murphy, Philip Primrose, Magistrates, Bawdy Houses

Citation

Degree

Master of Arts (M.A.)

Department

History

Program

History

Part Of

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DOI

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